Overdue
Thank you to NetGalley and Saturday Books for giving me the opportunity to be an early reader of a digital review copy. This one hit shelves today, October 7th.
Ingrid and Macon work at the library together. They’ve always had an intense friendship. When Ingrid and her longtime boyfriend, Cory, decide to take a time-bound break to explore what’s out there (they’ve been together 11 years, since freshman year of college), the experiment leads to dating apps and experiences Ingrid has only had with Cory. But there’s really only one man she’s thinking about.
I have such mixed feelings about this one. The cover and the concept of two library employees drew me in, but I don’t think I read the description well enough to know the Ross + Rachel, “we were on a break” (but actually, these two really did agree upon it) premise. I was put off by this idea right away and wasn’t sure what I was getting into. It became clear pretty early on that Cory and Ingrid weren’t right for each other and most of their closest friends seemed to know this, but for some reason, they took until 40% through the book to realize it themselves.
I struggled through the opening. It felt slow and repetitive and very show-and-tell. I didn’t feel like I was getting much of Ingrid’s emotions or backstory. I didn’t really know why she was doing what she was doing or feeling what she was feeling. After 40% the plot shifts and moves toward the primary romance. I get that the book is not solely about Ingrid finding her person but also about Ingrid finding herself, but I didn’t find her journey very compelling.
I was a library assistant for 8 years. Entering that world should have been a joy, but I didn’t feel it. (Also… Ingrid keeps getting referred to as a “librarian” in this book but does not have her MLIS degree. Are the titles and qualifications different for North Carolina and California? This was a point of confusion for me.) I mostly felt like the library interactions were overdone statements about book banning (and I’m not someone who wants books banned, I promise) and that Macon and Ingrid’s sustainable lifestyles were more “look how righteous we are” than just a natural part of their lives. These justice issues, while noble, were overwrought and heavy-handed to me.
This book had its moments. Macon was an interesting character and his interactions with Ingrid were sweet. When they finally are together, there’s some swoonworthy dialogue, for sure. But those moments didn’t make up for my honest-to-goodness boredom.
I dislike leaving negative feedback, and this absolutely could just be “a me thing” rather than the actual book, but I was disappointed because there was so much I could have and should have liked in theory. I’m giving this a generous 3 stars, but I probably should have abandoned ship on this one. I hope it finds its audience!
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🌶️ This book contains an on-page intimate scene in chapter 39. There is also some very brief description in chapters that follow, a sentence here and there.
